The conference, which promised to be “the biggest and best vertical flight technology conference in the world,” was a gathering of some of the biggest names in the helicopter industry; Pratt & Whitney and Boeing, just to name a few. Thomas had the opportunity to showcase the VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) video borescope to those in attendance, who were impressed with the versatility and portability it offered.

When he was not providing demos of the VJ-ADV, Thomas was enjoying the conference, as well as doing a little sightseeing and taking in the culture…via attending a playoff hockey game in the Montreal Canadiens’ home arena. Thomas was also excited to get a glimpse of part of the rotorcraft that won the “Human Powered Helicopter Competition.”

The AHS Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition was originally issued 34 years ago in 1980. The challenge? To keep a helicopter hovering in the air – three meters in altitude, to be exact – using manpower to fuel the flight. AeroVelo won the prize of $250,000 in 2013.

Clearly, AHS Forum 70 was a great experience. Hockey, human powered helicopters, networking with leaders in the rotorcraft industry… how could Edward Thomas not have a good time?

If you were unable to test drive the VJ-Advance video borescope at the AHS Forum 70, we would like to offer you a free trial. To make the decision process easy, we offer the industry’s only no-cost, no-obligation demo program so you can evaluate the VJ-Advance line of video borescope in your facility doing your inspections, before you decide to buy.

For more information about RF System Lab and the VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) video borescope call us at (231) 943-1171 or visit or website www.rfsystemlab.us.

SOFIC took place in Tampa, FL on May 20-22 at the Tampa Convention Center and promised to “provide a forum for military, government, academia, and industry stakeholders to network and discuss current and future challenges and how to best support our Special Operations Forces around the globe.” With attendees from all over the world, all of whom met the description above, this was a promise well-delivered.

Joel Riling, RF System Lab’s VP of Government Programs, had a chance to connect with representatives from foreign programs in Poland, Israel, UAE, Cambodia, France, Brazil, El Salvador, Germany, UK, Korea and many others. All of these programs showed a great interest in the fully articulating VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV), which also received interest from multiple SOCOM units and personnel. Riling stated that being able to network with as well as provide demos of the VJ-ADV to a variety of military professionals was phenomenal.

RF System Lab will be signing up for SOFIC 2015 as soon as possible, and we hope to see you there! If you were unable to test drive the VJ-Advance video borescope at SOFIC 2014, we would like to offer you a free trial. To make the decision process easy, we offer the industry’s onlyno-cost, no-obligation demo program so you can evaluate the VJ-Advance line of video borescopes in your facility doing your inspections, before you decide to buy.

For more information about RF System Lab and the VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) video borescope call us at (231) 943-1171 or visit or website www.rfsystemlab.us.

23 May 2014

We have quite a few exciting announcements coming in 2014, but the first of those is that we are very excited to announce that we have a few new staff members here at RF System Lab in Traverse City, Michigan. The first of those new staff members that we would like to introduce you to is J St. John, who recently joined the team as a VJ-Advance video borescope sales consultant.

J St. John presents the VJ-Advance video borescope at MOGA 2014.

J St. John joined RF System Lab as a Sales Consultant in April of 2014. Through phone consultations and at trade shows, J works with clients to find cost effective solutions to their remote visual inspection challenges. J also serves as Team Leader for RF’s Customer Satisfaction program, supporting long-term, post-sale customer service. J is a “gear-head” who can serve clients in any industry, but he has a special interest in aviation and land-based turbines, down-hole drilling motors and complex castings. Since graduating from Michigan State University with a BA in Marketing, J has worked primarily in automotive, energy, and aviation education. In his spare time, he enjoys SCCA racing, playing music and spending time with his young family.

We sat down with J and asked him a few questions so that you could get to know him a bit better:

Q1: What are you looking forward to about working at RF System Lab

A1: After spending 10 years in education, it is nice to be back in industry, solving real world problems that impact people’s lives. The chance to help our clients save time, money, and in some cases, lives is an opportunity I had to jump at!

Q2: What is your favorite place to eat in Northern Michigan?

A2: A Big D from Don’s Drive In may be the best burger on the planet. The only thing that can touch it is BBQ in my backyard.

A4: My favorite VJ-ADV feature is the instruction manual. What makes it truly great is that I have not had to read it yet. It never ceases to amaze me how many people pick up the VJ-ADV and go to work. Its intuitive design allows for a VERY short learning curve. Dealing with industries that are often penalized for downtime, this feature makes the VJ-ADV stand out. Additionally, the fact that it uses off the shelf AA batteries makes it portable and convenient.

Q5: What is one place that you hope to visit while traveling for industry trade shows?

A5: I would like to go to Texas in the future. I have lived there before and still have friends in the area. Plus, nobody does chicken fried steak like Texas!

J has already represented RF System Lab at various industry trade shows and is doing an excellent job of spreading awareness of the VJ-Advance line of video borescopes. If you catch J at a trade show, make sure to chat with him about the VJ-ADV capabilities – he’s only been with us for a short time, but he’s already a pro!

If you’re interested in chatting with J or one of our other sales consultants about the VJ-ADV, give us a call at 888-747-6526!

21 May 2014

The Quality Expo brought an exhibit hall full of the newest products and services, the most advanced NDT technology, and a plethora of respected suppliers to the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, TX earlier this month. RF System Lab sales consultant Casey O’Tool was very glad to be a part of the action while exhibiting the VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) video borescope at the expo.

One benefit of the Quality Expo is that the attendees and exhibitors are widely spread out across the spectrum of the industries they represent. O’Tool would be chatting with an aviation maintenance professional one minute and the next he was presenting the VJ-ADV to a power plant manager. O’Tool was also able to catch up with previous customers, such as Lockheed Martin, Triumph Aerostructures, and Parker Hannifin.

O’Tool was excited to see that attendees, especially those interested in inspecting internal medical devices or brazed joints in turbine engine fuel systems were extremely interested in learning more about the VJ-ADV 2.8mm. Offered in three insertion tube diameters: 6.9mm, 3.9mm, and 2.8mm, the VJ-ADV is adept at handling a large number of industry applications. For fitting into small spaces or getting around tight corners, the 2.8mm is the perfect choice.

O’Tool highly recommends the Quality Expo and says “if there is one happening near you – ATTEND! You will not regret it.” With that said, we’ll see you in Chicago in 2015, Quality Expo.

If you were unable to test drive the VJ-Advance video borescope at the Quality Expo, we would like to offer you a free trial. To make the decision process easy, we offer the industry’s only no-cost, no-obligation demo program so you can evaluate the VJ-Advance line of video borescope in your facility doing your inspections, before you decide to buy.

For more information about RF System Lab and the VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) video borescope call us at (231) 943-1171 or visit or website www.rfsystemlab.us.

The Regional Airlines Association (RAA) Annual Conference celebrated its 39th year, and RF System Lab Sales Consultants J. St. John and Edward Thomas we’re extremely glad to be a part of the event. RAA 2014 took place last week at the St. Louis Convention Center in St. Louis; Missouri and North American Regional Airlines and supplies were very well represented.

This well-attended trade show is one that we at RF System Lab have attended year after year… and we have no intention of ending that pattern. J. St. John recapped the event and had some extremely positive feedback.

The first thing he mentioned was the quality and relevance of the speeches given in the exhibit hall, which included a keynote from FAA Administrator Michael Huerta as well as a general session on the pilot shortage, which is currently a major issue in the world of aviation. St. John was also very impressed that the President of RAA, Roger Cohen, personally went booth to booth to make sure all exhibitors were having the best experience possible.

Another notable success was that St. John was able to sell a VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) 2.8mm video borescope to another exhibitor, who had the scope in hand and was able to take it with him that day! That exhibitor was from Millenium International, an avionics sales and services company. Not only is an on-site sale an exciting event, but this sale has helped to add further validation that the VJ-ADV, especially the ultra-thin 2.8mm, is a great fit for the avionics and small equipment industries.

RAA 2014 was a success all-around, and the RF System Lab team is already making plans to attend next year’s event. If you were unable to test drive the VJ-Advance video borescope at RAA 2014, we would like to offer you a free trial. To make the decision process easy, we offer the industry’s only no-cost, no-obligation demo program so you can evaluate the VJ-Advance line of video borescopes in your facility doing your inspections, before you decide to buy.

For more information about RF System Lab and the VJ-Advance (VJ-ADV) video borescope call us at (231) 943-1171 or visit or website www.rfsystemlab.us.